Rail-joint



(No Model.)

B. F. DAVIS.

RAIL JOINT.

No. 406,033. Patented July 2,1889.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BENJAMIN FRANKLIN DAVIS, OF TRUEHEART, TEXAS.

RAIL-JOINT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 406,033, dated July 2,1889.

(No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN FRANKLIN DAV-Is, a citizen of Trueheart, inthe county of Ward and State of Texas, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Rail- Joints; and I do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same.

My invention relates to an improvement in fish-plates or rail-joints forconnecting the abutting ends of sections of railway-rails, its objectbeing to provide strong and simple means for connecting the adjacentends of railway-rails and making the connection as nearly as possible asstrong as any part of the rail.

A further object is to provide a rail-joint made in a single piece ofmetal and which may be secured to the rail as well. as to the ties uponwhich the rail rests.

A further object is to construct the railjoint or fish-plate in such amanner that it may be driven past a rail-joint to enable one section ofthe rail to be removed when desired.

lVith these objects in View my invention consists in certain novelfeatures of construction and peculiar combinations and arrangements ofparts, as hereinafter set forth, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of thedevice with one section of a railroad-rail in position. Fig. 2 is a planView of the device. Fig. 3 is a section on the line at 00 of Fig. 2.

A represents the base of the fishplate upon which the rail-sections B Brest. Projectin g upwardly and inwardly from the baseplate A and inconformity with the flanges a of the rails are two integral plates 0 C.The plates 0 G terminate at their tops in vertical flanges I) I), whichare a distance apart sufficient to accommodate the web 0 of the rails B.

At one side of the fish-plate perforations d are made for the receptionof spikes, said perforations passing through the plate 0 and base A andbeing in alignment with notches (1 made in the flange of the rail B. The

notches (Z in the rail-flange will be made of greater width than theperforations d, in order to allow for expansion and contraction of therails, said notches (1 being preferably made in both flanges of the railto adapt either for the spikes.

At the meeting point of the diagonal plate C and base-plate A notches eare made for the accommodation of spikes. These notches are not madesufliciently deep to permit the spikes passing through them comingincon= diet with the rail-flange.

At each end of the plate O a thickened portion or rib f is formedextending upwardly to the top of flange a and projecting at the lowerends beyond the longitudinal edge of the plate A to produce lugs g.These lugs are perforated for the reception of spikes, by means of whichthe fish-plate is held down at its ends. It will be seen that theintegral lugs or projections g broaden the bearing of the fislrplate onthe ties, and that the spikes being passed through such broadenedportions effectually prevent the ends of the plate from rising from anycause. The fish-plate is further strengthened by a rib 71 located midwaybetween the ribs f and extending from the top of flange b to the base ofplate 0. The ends of ribs fare made parallel with the ends of thefish-plate and produce broad surfaces. \Vhen it is desired to remove asection of the track, it is simply necessary to remove the spikes andstrike against one of the broadened surfaces 2' of ribs f with ahammeror similar tool until the end of the fishplate shall have passed thejoint on the two rail-sections The fish-plate or rail-joint abovedescribed said ribs for the reception of spikes, substantially as setforth.

2. The combination, with a railroad -"rail having notches in itsflanges, of a fish-plate composed of a single piece of metal adapted toembrace the flange and web of the rail, said fish-plate being plain onone side and provided on the other side with ribs, perforated lugsprojecting from the ribs at the ends of the fish-plate, said fish-platebeing provided with perforations on one side to align with notches inthe rail-flange, and notches in the other side out of alignment with therail-flange, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed this I5 specification in the presenceof two subscribing witnesses.

BENJAMIN FRANKLIN DAVIS.

WVitnesses:

J. O. DERMODY, W. B. J ONES.

